LifeLong Wish
by fowl68
Summary: The peaceful times came too late...everyone worth living with in the war-free time was gone...


**Disclaimer:** Don't own this! Words in bold/italics are from My Grown Up Christmas List by Kelly Clarkson.

**Author's Note:** Why must it be an unwritten law of the cosmos that my plot bunnies attack me just as I'm heading into dreamland? I had the urge to listen to Christmas songs and this came up at 9:50 PM. Grr, argh.

-~-~-~-~

-~-~-~-~

_Do you remember me  
I sat upon your knee  
I wrote to you  
With childhood fantasies_

Well, I'm all grown up now  
And still need help somehow  
I'm not a child  
But my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish  
My grown up christmas list  
Not for myself  
But for a world in need  


_---_

**  
No more lives torn apart**

Kurenai froze over the vegetables she was cutting for a moment before looking down at her son. It used to hurt to look at him and see Asuma stamped on his features. But as he grew over the past eight years, his eyes had gotten a little more red in them, the skin a little paler and it was easier to look him in the face.

"Mom?" He said a little hesitantly, looking up at her from dark, smoky eyes. He repeated his earlier question. "Mom, why haven't I ever met my dad?"  
Kurenai set the chopping knife down to kneel in front of her son. "…He's gone. He…he died a little before you were born."  
"Oh…alright." And it hurt more than almost anything to see the look on her little boy's face.

**  
That wars would never ****start  
**

Everyone in the newer generations spoke of the odd man. Some would call him old, but there was nothing old-looking about him, other than the silver hair. He had broad, strong shoulders and didn't need a cane.

But they all talked about him, talked about how he would sometimes be sitting on a bench, eating a few sticks of dango, and he would speak to some woman that wasn't there, a woman who they heard him call Rin. And he would eat, occasionally, at the ramen shop down the street and he would murmur things to two people called Naruto and Minato. Odd names.

But what confused them the most of all was that the odd man would stand in front of a weathered, black rock way out in the overgrown meadows and would talk to someone named Obito there. He'd say strange things and his voice would go all bittersweet. Everyone agreed he had a pleasant enough voice, deep and masculine, but there would always be a slight teasing edge; a good older brother voice.

Kakashi stared down at the remains of the KIA stone. "Everything's changed, Obito. They think I'm mad because I'm talking to ghosts. But there's no war anymore, finally. But," He reached up to touch his left eye. "This peaceful time came too late. You're all gone now…"

**  
And time would heal all hearts**

Neither knew which moved first. One moment, they were standing as far away from each other as they could in that holding cell, the next there was a nose buried in Sasuke's collarbone and arms were wrapped tightly around Naruto's shoulders.

"I thought you were dead." Naruto said quietly and Sasuke could feel the relieved smile.

"Takes a lot more than a war to kill me, dobe."

A weak chuckle. "Apparently." Naruto stepped back a little reluctantly. "I know there are things that need to be settled between us, but can we put them aside? Even if it's just for now."  
Sasuke answered quietly. "We can put them aside."

**  
And everyone would have a friend**

A bandaged hand was held out and Gaara looked up to its owner, a little surprised. "Would you like to join us for the eating of the youthful ice cream, Gaara-san?"  
Gaara accepted the hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet from his previous spot against the tree trunk. "…Sure."

**  
And right would always win**

It was a late report and Shikamaru was one of the ones in the missions room to get it. As he read the report that was delivered by hawk, he found himself unable to believe what was on the paper. He reread it once, twice and finally Chouji got curious enough that he reached up and snatched the paper from his best friend's hand.

"…We won?" The words were spoken hoarsely, disbelievingly.

Shikamaru found himself being enveloped in a tight bear hug. "The war's over! We've won!"

Everyone in the missions room looked up and, after a long moment, they all began laughing and cheering. Three years of war were finally at their end.

**  
And love would never end**

"I'm thinking about retiring." Tsunade said to him.

"Oh really? Why?" Jiraiya leaned against the rail on the roof of the Hokage's Tower.

"Most of me is telling me that it's because of the paperwork. I swear, if I see another legal document…"

Jiraiya laughed. "A good enough reason as any. Any retirement plans? What would you do without this life that you've got?"

"Travel a little. Try and find some decent strawberries while I'm at it. Konoha gets no good berry imports at all."

"That reminds me." Jiraiya stood straight and disappeared before reappearing with a small box before handing it to her.

Tsunade peeked inside and found rich, red strawberries. "…How do you find these? I've looked everywhere!"

Jiraiya just smiled mysteriously and leaned close, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Happy birthday, hime."

**  
This is my grown up ****Christmas list**

**--/-/-/-/-/**

**A/N:** Haha! Finished at 10:25! Now, to bed! I'm uber-tired. Hope you all like it and I seriously hope I had everyone in character. Some people seemed off to me, but that's for you guys to decide.


End file.
